Like a Pirate
by griZzlyAngel
Summary: Left stranded on Tortuga, Janie will do anything to get away, even it if does mean joining the crew of perhaps the daftest pirate captain who ever sailed the Caribbean seas. However, it will cost her more than just in gold... Prequel to COTBP
1. Prologue

Prologue

A/N: Okay, so I found this POTC story I had been writing a while back on my computer, and so, for those of you who are still waiting for Two Weasleys and a Cottle to be updated, don't take this to heart, because I am _nowhere_nera finished with Bree's story, okay? So don't freak out and think "She's given up!" No, I just liked this story, so I'm uploading it. Anyway, enough of my rambling, read on and enjoy the very beginning of my POTC fanfic!

Disclaimer: I most certainly do not own Pirates of the Caribbean, that's good old Walt's property. What a pity for me though...

---

It was August the thirteenth. A dark day in more ways than just one. The large port city of Brest, France was quieter than usual. The cobblestone streets lined with all sorts of shops and inns, all of them empty, save for a dog and a cat. Carriages with nervous horses were parked along the streets, close to the large circle near the docks.

Every single person, from men to women, to even children were all gathered there. Summoned to what was casual entertainment to most of the folks, but truly brutal and disgusting to others.

A hanging.

The hanging of pirates was rare in this city, so when a thing like it happens, almost all locals will be called to the show. The thing that bugged all the viewers was the fact that the pirate being hanged was in fact a local himself.

Pierre Lee, was his formal name, but he went by BloodBone ever since his first sea voyage on the _Siren's Song_.

Overhead the sky was painted a murky blue, with swirling grey clouds that threatened for a sea storm. The townspeople, all clustered together, peered upward. Some women nursed their children, while others fanned themselves, for it was a humid day. A soft breeze ruffled BloodBone's wavy locks, and his blue eyes starred out at the huge crowd with nothing but pure loath and hatred.

The governer was standing not to far away, with his gaurds on either side of him. A promptly dressed gentleman slowly made his way up to the clearing in the middle where the noose was hanging near BloodBone and the executor.

The man stopped a few feet away from the pirate and withdrew a long scroll from his coat and unrolled it a bit. His eyes glanced down and he cleared his throat.

Up on the fort, drums began to hum solemnly as the man read off numerous acts of injustice that the pirate had commented on the scroll.

"BloodBone Pierre Lee, you are here on charges of commenting and subjecting to piracy. Do you deny this?," the announcer looked up at BloodBone.

BloodBone did not stop starring at the audience before him. His left hand twitched slightly at his side, but other than that he did not move a muscle.

"No.," he finally boomed out to them all.

The announcer looked back at his scroll.

"You have been spotted on numerous occasions, pillaging and plundering merchant ships. You have murdered fifteen men, including a naval officer. You...," the list went on, and the people listened intently.

Among them, a young girl, no more than six or seven, was watching with wide brown eyes. A lad next to her poked her shoulder roughly, and she slapped at him, enraged from such a rude thing.

"_What?_," she snapped at him, eyes narrowed.

He smirked, pointing up at BloodBone. "Isn't that your father, Janel?"

The little girl named Janel just glared at him, then spoke low and dangerous.

"Yes, he is."

"I knew he was one of them., " the lad looked up at the stern pirate, "Ever since he came back with that silver ring for you. No sailor gets prizes like that. I should know, my father is one and we don't have enough money to buy meat."

Janel continued to glare at him, ready to say something, but then the drums rolled faster, and she turned her attention back on the execution at hand.

The announcer was backing away from the stand, rolling up his scroll silently. Janel watched as the executor stepped up and looped the noose around her father's thick neck. His blue eyes finally met with her hazel ones, and he frowned suddenly. Janel almost wanted to run up and hug him one last time, but stopped herself, knowing it was useless to do so.

The executor walked around to a lever, and grabbed it with both gloved hands.

BloodBone's eyes never left his daughter's as the lever got pulled and the ground fell beneath him. A gasp went through the crowd of viewers, some closing their children's eyes.

The lad next to Janel went to his mother, who turned him away from the gruesome scene.

Janel's eyes filled with tears as she gazed upon the limp pirate that she called her father, then she turned away. Even though she may have been young, she knew the punishment, and he, nevertheless, deserved it.

When the crowd left and the executor walked away from the stand, the girl slowly made her way up to it. Her cheeks shined with streaming tears and her mouth parted with angst.

She fell to her knees and covered her face with her hands.

She wept at that spot for the rest of that night, not daring to leave.


	2. Tortuga Girl

A/N: An update for _L__ike a Pirate. _I'm sure no ones found it appealing after only reading the stupid prologue, but the story gets better from here. Anyway, enjoy the first true chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean!

Chapter one: Tortuga girl

---

_12 years later..._

The smell of salty sweat and drinks of all kinds filled the air of the large cantina. The many sets of tables and chairs were flung about in some spots, while others contained a dozen or so men, either playing dice or having an arm wrestling match. The bar was crowded with drunken men of all sorts, some leaning over the counter, reaching for the lovely barmaids.

Others did jigs to the little three-man-band in the corner.

The three men, all over the age of sixty, played their old and worn instruments, while singing loudly above the hollering people of the cantina.

"_Goodbye, me darlin', goodbye, me dear-oh, Bold Riley-oh, boom-a-lay, Goodbye, me darlin', goodbye, me dear-oh, Bold Riley-oh, gone away...," _the song continued, getting louder as a brawl between two drunks came about near by.

"Fight!!," howled the men around them, guffawing stupidly.

Up at the bar, a woman appeared. She was older, perhaps in her late forties, with greying brown hair that was piled messily atop her head. Her sagging face peered over where the fight was going on, and she cursed under her breath.

"Not again," she swung around and called loudly, "get your arse ta work, Lucy!!"

The barmaid named Lucy was flirting with a man, but turned on a dime towards her boss, who was glaring angrily. Lucy rolled her eyes and bid farewell to the man, then got back to her work, reluctantly.

The owner quickly made her way over to the brawl, waving her arms and shouting at the men.

"ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT!!! THAT IS ENOUGH, GENTLEMEN!!"

The men just laughed at her, and continued to hoot and howl in amusement at the fight before them. The woman, sighed, and slowly reached inside her skirts to pull out a small pistol. She aimed it at the ceiling and with a growl, she pulled the trigger. A boom, then a start and a cry among the clients in the cantina ensued afterwards. All eyes fell on her and she breathed in and out softly, waiting for anyone to move.

But they didn't.

The fighting men lay sprawled on the dirty floor, huffing and puffing loudly, their blood-shot eyes gawking at her.

She grimaced, and slowly holstered her pistol once more.

"Please leave, gents, before I shoot one o' ya!," she snapped at them.

The men quickly scrambled to their unsteady feet, and ran for the exit, falling over upturned chairs and tables along the way. She then turned to look at everyone, a strict look on her face.

"If any one o' yas start another one, I swear, by the name o' God, I'll 'ave no mercy on yeh!," she spat on the ground and nodded to the silent crowd.

"Bloody Pirates.," she marched back around the bar counter, slapping Lucy's back.

The younger woman's head snapped around, and she glowered at the older woman.

"Clean up them tables over there, near the wall!," the boss lady handed a man his ale, "Then attend those fine men over there with refills o' rum, all right?"

"Yes, mum.," Lucy made off for her chore, reluctant as ever.

"Damn, I hate those young whores.," the boss lady grumbled to herself while wiping the counter clean.

As she did so, the door to her cantina opened and a new customer walked in. The customer was a young girl, in her late teens most likely, dressed in a worn looking, brown vest with a white under tunic and a long, but very tattered green skirt. She wore light, black boots and a red ribbon held back long, sandy-colored hair out of her freckled face.

She glanced around, her big, dark brown eyes darting nervously at all the commotion within the building. Carefully, and quickly, she made her way over to the bar, where the old boss lady was just washing dishes.

"Er- excuse me," the young girl started, coming up to the counter cautiously.

Boss lady continued on her way with the dishes, mumbling under her breath as she did so. The young girl guessed the woman didn't hear her, so she repeated herself.

"Excuse me, mum."

"Eh?!," Boss lady looked over her shoulder, brows furrowed.

"Excuse me, I'm sorry to interrupt your-"

"Nonsense!," boss lady boomed, dropping the rag and plate into the wash bucket. The girl watched as she dried her sopping wet hands off.

When she was done, she came over. "Yes, missy? A rum fer yeh?"

The girl shook her head. "Oh, no! I just, well, I just needed directions."

The older woman's eyebrows went up. " Ta where, hun?"

"Well, not exactly _to where_, but, um," the girl fumbled with her sleeve, " I need to catch a ride with a ship."

"Yeh need ta catch a ride with a ship?," the boss lady repeated her words back to her, "Why in the world for, luv?"

"Um, well, " the girl looked up at the woman, " I... I need to get to, to, ah.... Port... Majesty."

Her last word barely came out, but the boss lady heard it well and clear, and a smile appeared on her wrinkled face.

"Yeh need ta get ta _Port Majesty?_," she leaned forward, "Let me ask yeh a question, lass: Are yeh _mad?!!"_

"No! Of course not!, "the girl protested, shaking her head. "I just need to- to meet somebody there! If I don't, he'll... be very angry."

The boss lady nodded, pretending to believe her.

"Aye. An' who be this _man_, lass? Yer father?," she watched the girl closely.

" No. He is..., well, he's my great uncle. And, he's waiting there to put me in a boarding school on the island. My parents are dead, so he's all I have left, and I don't plan to ignore him the rest of my life. Besides, it _would_ be nice to have some change of lifestyle, wouldn't you agree, mum?", the girl smiled at the boss lady, a twinkle in her eyes.

The old woman just looked at her with a bit of distaste, and she nodded once.

"Yes. Quite a change, really., "she stood back and took a breath, "So you need a ship? Well, there is one that may be leaving port tonight. But 'e's a real daft idiot, dear, not sure if yeh wanna mess with his likes."

The girl's face lightened up. "What's his name? Where can I find him? Do you know where he's going?"

The boss lady flayed her arms, eyes gone wide.

"Whoa, now! Calm yerself, lass! First off, his name I can't quite recall, I think it may 'ave been Captain, Captain... Dick? Oh, I don't know! Second, I 'ave know clue where 'e is docked at on this rock, but the name o' his ship is the _Cutlass._Thirdly, when last I seen 'im, 'e said 'e was 'eadin' for some treasure, or somethin' like it. 'E had fourteen bottles o' rum on his stomach at the time o' our conversation, so I wasn't able ta catch ev'ry word, luv."

"The _Cutlass?_," the girl repeated to herself. She thought for a moment, then looked back up at the boss lady.

"How long ago did you have this chat with him, mum?"

The boss lady scratched her chin, thinking back.

"'Bout... two day ago, at the least. But the wretch 'as come 'ere before now. Ev'ry time, 'e stays for quite a while. Or at least I 'eard.," she eyed the girl for a minute or two, "'sides, deary, I don't think 'e'll allow yeh on 'is ship, now tha' I think 'bout it."

"What? Why?!," the young girl snapped, sounding a bit scared.

"'cause, me dear, yeh are a _woman_.," the boss lady smiled sadly, "In case yeh don't know sailor lore, it be bad luck ta take one o' us aboard one o' their ships. Also, 'e be a pirate, young one, an' pirates only 'ave a couple o' uses for pretty girls like ye."

The young girl's features fell, and she looked down at herself with angry eyes. With a sigh, she smiled back up at the boss lady, taking a step away from the counter.

"Well, thank you for your time, mum."

"O' course!, " the boss lady grinned, waving, "Be sure ta come back soon, dear, for a drink or two!"

"Yes, of course!," the girl waved, then turned fully and hurried out of the cantina, which was starting to get hectic once more.

--

Outside on the lantern-lit streets wasn't any better than in. The whole city of Tortuga was nothing but a shameless, filthy, whore-filled, and rum-soaked place, where even the most unfortunate man could find happiness. Fires blazed from various buildings, women screamed and hooted suggestively from every corner, and pirates, all sorts of dirty pirates, fought, drank, sang, and slept all over the stinking streets.

Animals ran loose; one man was being chased by a mad dog. The young girl carefully avoided all this, running across the road before a huge, horse-drawn carriage came flying past.

She grumbled as she tripped and fell into a pile of what looked like horse manure. Gagging slightly, she jumped up, trying to brush off the smelly stuff.

"Hey, pretty bird.," a voice came from behind her.

She whipped around, and saw a large man, with no teeth and ragged clothing. He grinned evilly at her, reaching out for her chest. She growled and kicked at his groin with all her might. The pirate howled in pain, then toppled over, holding himself. The girl made a quick get-a-way, knowing he wouldn't be on the ground forever.

"You l'il wench!! Come back 'ere!!!," he roared, trying to get up.

The girl bolted for the nearest inn, and went inside. This cantina was smaller, but with many more patrons. This was good, though, because she needed to hide for the moment. Pushing her way through the crowded place, she reached the bar counter, where three bar-maidens were attending some nasty men.

"We want our rum, NOW!!," one shouted at a cowering blond.

"Just a moment, sir!," she hurried and got a fresh bottle. Then she took it to him, setting it on the counter before him.

He growled at her, then opened the bottle and took a long swig. The young girl flinched at him, as drool and rum dribbled down his chin and onto the counter.

"Yes, lass?"

She looked around; one of the barmaids were waiting for her to speak.

"Oh, where is your bath house?"

The barmaid leaned over and pointed her finger across the room to a tiny nook.

"Behind that corner, you'll find a room with washing supplies.," she informed her.

"Thank you, miss!,' the girl hurried back through the crowd and spotted a very drunk man. She saw he looked no more than twenty or so, and he was smaller built. A sudden idea came to her head as she watched him, and a sly smile played across her lips.

With a quick smack to the head with a broken table leg, the man fell flat on his face. She leaned over him, making sure he was truly knocked unconscious. He didn't budge when she poked his cheek roughly, so it was a clear sign. After checking for any spying eyes, she quickly and quietly dragged the limp pirate over to the nook. Around the corner, a wooden door could be seen. It was old and worn, and the sign that read** Bath House**, was near gone. She slowly pushed the door open and went inside, taking the pirate with her. It was dark, save for one tiny candle wick, which was almost melted down.

"Hmm, " she let the pirate alone, and went over to a large basin, where a bawdy rag and moldy bar of soap sat waiting for the next scummy body to cleanse itself.

Picking up the two items, she turned back to look at her captor, the smile on her face becoming brighter.


	3. Join the Crew

A/N: Another update for y'all! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean, only a few select characters, including Janie, are my property.

Chapter 2: Join the crew

---

After a quick wash-up, the girl had taken the pirate's clothes, and dressed herself in them. She took the red ribbon out of her hair and neatly tied it up in a old wrap that the man had worn. She dropped her own outfit on top of him, then with a nod, she left him laying on the floor in the bath house.

Walking back out into the dangerous streets, she felt a bit more secure within her new disguise, but even more nervous knowing that it was just that. Just a disguise.

If she wanted to live she had to keep it that way for the time being. Taking long, manly strides, she made her way down the winding street, to the harbour where hopefully her captain and ship were waiting.

"Excuse me, but I'm looking for a ship named the _Cutlass_. I'm not sure of her captain's name, but have you heard of her?"

The sailor she had asked just gawked at her, his eyes glazed over. She waited for a moment, but he didn't reply. With a nod and an uneasy smile, she turned and continued down another pier. One man was carrying a small, squealing pig in his arms. He tried to calm it, but failed. As he wrestled the animal, the disguised girl came up from behind.

"Er, excuse me, sir-"

"What do yeh want?!,"he whipped around, his face contorted with frustration.

The girl stepped back slightly, raising her arm in fear.

"Do you know of a ship named the _Cutlass_?," she asked timidly.

"That bloody old dingy?!, " he chortled, squeezing the pig tightly.

"Do you know of it?," she asked once more, lowering her arm.

"Aye!," he grunted, as the pig started kicking hard, "Of course I 'ave!"

"Is it still berthed here?," her spirit rose as he told her this.

"Peraps! _Quit it you!!!_," he snarled at the pig.

"Where? Where is it's pier?," she almost lost her masculine voice.

"Down aways! Last pier in this here harbour! _Quit it!!!_," he shook the pig roughly.

"Thank you!," with a smile, she turned and bolted back up the pier. As she trotted down the busy docks, looking for the last pier, a sudden feeling hit her. She was nervous yes, but never had she really felt so... unsure. She slowed down a bit, touching her cheek with her fingers. She was warm for some reason.

"Huh," she took her fingers away, looking at them, "Funny."

Suddenly, two men rushed by her, carrying a barrel each. She followed them curiously, wondering if they belonged to the _Cutlass_. As she did so, she eavesdropped on their hurried conversation.

"The cap'n will be upset, o' course! But what are we ta do? If the tavern ran out, it ran out!," the taller, more thicker one was saying.

"Aye! He'll be alright! Besides, we're headin' after treasure! What's better than that, eh?," the shorter one huffed.

"Nothin', I'm sure of!," the tall one agreed, "We'll 'ave enough money to buy tons o' rum after this trip! At least thas what the captain says!"

"Aye, he be right! I've 'eard of the treasure he seeks! It's the-"

But the rest of his sentence was cut off as a few men from ahead shouted loudly over them. The girl frowned in annoyance. Within those few seconds of trailing behind the two men, she was at last standing by the very last pier at the harbour. What she saw docked there was almost humorous.

The ship- if you could call it that -was probably the most tiniest ship she had ever laid eyes on. It had two decks, but the upper one was so short that only five or six people could fit on it comfortably. The captain's cabin was the only true resting place on it, it seemed. There were only two large masts and the sails were terribly torn from past sea storms. The whole body of the ship looked like if it hit a big wave it would surely fall to pieces.

Along the hull, in white paint that was retouched by the looks of it, was the ship's name.

So here was the _Cutlass_.

The girl took two steps onto the pier, examining the ship with her keen, brown eyes.

"But where is her captain, I wonder.," she thought to herself as she walked along.

The two rushing men from earlier were now running down the gangplank of the ship, talking fast and loading supplies. Trying to hide her face under the large hat that she wore, the young girl approached them.

"Need a hand, gents?," she asked in a gruff voice.

The pirates looked around at her, their brows raised slightly. The taller one eyed her up and down, his mouth hanging open in thought.

"Who are you,?" the shorter one questioned, standing up straight.

Standing a bit taller, and puffing out her chest a little, the girl proudly spoke.

"Why I'm Jared Lee! An' what o' yerselves, eh? Who yeh two be, then?," she nodded at the two pirates who both stood up to her.

The tall one answered first. "I-I'm Carter Mollem.," he poked the shorter one, who slapped his hand away.

"Me name is Henry Murphy.," he narrowed his dark eyes, "What business do yeh 'ave comin' over 'ere and lendin' a hand to us, hmm?"

The disguised girl only smiled kindly, taking a step towards them.

"Nothin' but bein' a kind soul is all am doin', gents.," she coughed slightly, "Who's yer cap'n 'ere?"

Henry spoke up before Carter could.

"Why do yeh ask, Mr. Lee?," he growled.

"'Cause am curious ta talk ta 'im.," she squinted down at him, "Naw, would yeh be eva so kind as ta tell me who 'e is, _hmm?"_

Suddenly, there was a loud crash from behind, and all of them looked to see what the cause was. Stumbling violently around a pile of fallen barrels came a young man. The girl watched with interest as he made his dizzy way over to them, nearly falling right off the pier as he did so.

Henry and Carter stood to attention as the drunken man came up to them.

"Cap'n!," Carter saluted respectfully.

The young man, who was apparently the captain, raised his hanging head and gawked at him. As he stood swaggering there for those four or five seconds, the girl took him all in.

He was not so tall, average in height, with rather darker skin and chocolate coloured eyes that were outlined in black kohl. His shoulder-length black hair was twisted into ratty-looking dreadlocks, with a couple of beads tied into them. Over his head he wore a red bandana, that kept the loose hair strands from falling into his face. Around his mouth grew a goatee, and his clothing consisted of nothing but your average buccaneer man styling.

All in all, he wasn't bad looking. For a pirate, that is.

His eyes fell on her at that moment, and he raised a pointed finger to her face.

"Who is this?," he slurred.

"Him?," Henry glanced at the girl, "He says 'is name is Jared Lee. Came over an' asked if we needed help, Cap'n. 'E also wanted ta see you, sir."

The captain looked at her, his eyes focusing and unfocusing.

"Did he now? For what-_hic_-purpose_-hic_-I wonder-_hic!_," he continued to _hiccup!_ as he swayed on the spot watching the girl.

She stepped closer to him, trying to be as respectful and honorable as she could, without upseting the drunk man.

"Well, Cap'n, I've just come 'ere ta ask if I could join yer crew an' sail wit ya across the Caribbean fer a while, if yer willin', sir."

The captain nodded, hiccuping even more. He made a strange hand gesture and responded in such a slurred voice, that she had to listen carefully.

"Join ma crew?! _HIC!_O' course yeh can-_hic!_-join ma crew! Just what is yer-_hic!_-name, boy?"

"Jared Lee, sir.," she reminded him.

"Ah, "he kept nodding, swaying so violently, that Carter had to steady him, "thas right! Tell me Mr.-_hic!_-Lee, can yeh sail un-_hic!_-der the command of me? Captain-_hic!_-Jack-_hic!_-Sparrow-_hic!_-?"

"Aye, "she nodded, giving him a kind smile,"I think I can, Cap'n."

"Good!," the captain continued nodding, pivoting around,"Welcome to-_hic!_-the-_hic!_-crew-_hic!_-then!"

Smiling at being accepted onto the ship, the girl began following her new captain. As they walked up the gangplank to the ship, he turned and started to bellow out an order to his crew, but didn't watch his step. With a loud splash, the captain fell to the waters below.

The girl gasped, peering over and down at the spluttering man.

"Cap'n! Are yeh alright?!," she called to him, while the crewmen hurried and threw a line in after him.

The captain only nodded reassuringly, smiling dumbly up at her.

"O' course I am, you twit!,"he hollered, "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow! Sav-," but the rest of his words were cut off as he sunk beneath the water.

The girl only grimaced and shook her head. Huffing, she continued up the gangplank, thinking of what was ahead with _that_ man as her captain.

"Perhaps I should have listened to that old woman.," she thought to herself, praying that she would actually survive on this journey.


	4. A Strange Man

A/N: Yet another update! Enjoy, lads and lasses!

Disclaimer: I don't own Pirates of the Caribbean. End of story.

Chapter 3: A Strange Man

---

It was the third day of traveling out at sea with Captain Jack Sparrow on the _Cutlass_. The third trying and tedious day of sailing. For "Jared", this was her first true time ever crewing a ship. Every other ride was comfortable, as she had always stowed away in the hull.

But now she was forced to work.

And work she did. Swabbing the decks, cleaning out the heads- unfortunately -and being really nothing but a cabin boy for the captain. Speaking of the captain, he may have been sober now, but he was no more idiotic. He was truly a daft man, and "Jared" had never in her life met anyone like him. Half the time he either sat in his cabin doing God knows what, the rest of the time he would saunter about the ship, blabbering on orders and the like. From the way he acted, it seemed to "Jared" that he never was _really_ sober, just reasonable at certain moments.

He never talked to her much, only to give specific chores that she could do. He hadn't had a decent conversation with her since the night that she joined, and that was not saying much.

He even forgot her name a few times, but this didn't bother her. Soon she would reach another island or port, and there she would leave from this broken-down ship.

At the moment she was busy cleaning the dirty windows of the captain's cabin. She bent to soak her rag in the water bucket once more, then stood up and scrubbed harder at a particular dirty mark.

"Damn you!," she growled, slapping the mark with her rag.

"Now, now!," came the all to familiar voice of her captain, "Do not hit any part of me ship, son! Yer new, so I'll warn yeh now, but next time I'm gonna 'ave to 'ave me men tie yeh to the mast, savvy?"

She closed her eyes tightly, breathing in slowly so to not explode on him.

"Aye, cap'n," she sighed, turning to look at him,"my apologies, sir."

The odd man eyed her up for a minute or so, and "Jared" was worried that he noticed her. But when the captain gave a light burp, and a goofy smile, she knew he hadn't noticed a thing.

"Good boy!," he walked off towards a couple of other crewmen, his arms out to balance his swaggering.

Shaking her head, "Jared" went back to cleaning the windows and door of the cabin. From a few feet away, Henry watched the girl closely. His dark, beady eyes never left her, as she went up and down to her bucket and back and forth wiping the glass. The short man was a bit more than wary of the new crew-mate, and kept his eyes open to her ways. He didn't like "Jared"; to him, "Jared" didn't seem so true. At times, Henry had the ever slightest and sneaking suspicion that the man was more than what he looked to be.

But of course, that could have to do with the fact that he himself wasn't true either.

With a grateful sigh, "Jared" finally finished her chore and dropped the dirty rag into the bucket. Turning around, she nearly knocked over another crewman.

"Oh! Sorry 'bout that, mate!," she caught her bucket and stumbled back from the elder man.

"No, I should've watched me own step, lad!," he replied, a kind smile on his face. "You the new kid?"

"Jared" nodded, "Aye. Names Jared Lee!," she put out her hand.

The old pirate shook it, smiling. "Joshamee Gibbs! Welcome aboard, boy!"

"Nice ta meet cha, Gibbs! An' what a...," she fell into silence, her eyes swiveled, taking in the ship, "..._pleasant_ ship this be."

He looked around as well. "Aye, not the best, but better than some. So, ever sailed before now?"

"Jared" nodded, not needing to tell the man her whole history with ships.

"O' yeah! Plenty o' times, mate!," she hitched up her breeches a bit, "An' not one complaint I've earned from any o' me captains! I be a good an' hard workin' man, sir! Yes, I sure be!"

The pirate nodded, not really looking at her directly. He carefully took out a flask from his belt, and unscrewed the cap. "Jared" waited for him as he took a long swig from the flask, then put the cap back on. He put it away then nudged his head towards the bow.

"Come with me, lad, an' tell me 'bout yerself, an' I'll tell yeh 'bout meself an' our captain if yeh like."

"Well...," she glanced down at the bucket in her grasp, then back up at Gibbs, who was waiting for her answer.

"Sure! Why not!," she carefully set the cleaning supplies next to a barrel, then walked with Gibbs across the deck.

---

"Jared" soon realized just what sort of mistake she had made when joining this old salt in a nice _chat_. She was lazily leaning against the railing of the ship, her face masked with a pretend interest at the pirate's stories, but if one looked close enough they would find the truth in her drooping hazel eyes.

It felt as if she had stood there for more than six centuries, listening to the man's _thrilling_ sea tales. At first it was fun, when at least _she_ got to talk, but after a while Gibbs stole it all.

Sure, he had been keen on knowing her "_history"_, but once he got to know it, she was in the club and just another seaman to talk to.

At the moment, Gibbs was explaining to her about some other pirate named BlackBeard, which she really did not give an arse scratch about to begin with.

"-so he stoled himself the finest spanish galleon on the seven seas! Not one man has ever dared to do so since him! But even in all his seemingly endless glory, that ol' BlackBeard got trapped. The Royal Navy had finally pinned him in, and attacked his ship with a huge armada."

Yawning widely, the young girl smiled lightly.

"Very tragic for 'im, I'm sure of, Mr. Gibbs.," she licked her dry lips. "But 'e did steal a bloody Spanish ship, for God's sake! The noddy rotter deserved it, 'e did."

Gibbs gave her a sad look, then drank from his flask once again.

"Jared" thought for a moment, then looked up at the voice of her captain. The pirate was shouting at Henry about something that she could not understand. She could see Henry flinching slightly as he did so; dark eyes shadowed under thick brows. "Jared" frowned at them, and Henry spotted her.

His annoyed face turned to an angry one, and he frowned right back. "Jared" was slightly taken aback by the man's behavior, but shrugged it off, thinking he was already mad that his captain was yelling at him and not someone else.

When done bellowing, the captain stepped back and turned, striding off towards his cabin, whistling loudly as he did. After closing the door behind him, "Jared" took her attention back to Gibbs, who was dozing off a little.

She snapped her fingers in his face, causing him to start.

"What is it with the Cap'n, anywho?," she couldn't handle it any longer.

Gibbs, blinking a few times, swallowed, his eyes darting towards the cabin where their captain had just disappeared into.

"Oh... Jack.," the pirate rubbed his hairy chin. "He's just not like other men, lad, is all he is."

"In what way?," "Jared" questioned. "In the seemingly-constant-drunk way, or some other mysterious reason I've yet ta learn?"

Gibbs shook his graying head. "Nah. He's a bit more complex than that. After sailing with him for now two years I've found he can be very witty, clever, and damn sly like a fox, boy! Why, there was this one trip we had to take to Cuba. Along the way we met up with some really driveling sea rats!"

He paused for a second, a small smile appearing on his lips.

"They wanted to take us on and make us be slaves to their every will. But Jack, oh that Jack, he found a way out of it."

"How? Anybody could take on a ship this size.," "Jared" lost her pretend voice, and she straightened up, listening.

"He promised them gold and fortune, and if they wouldn't let us be, he would call upon Calypso herself to go after them.," Gibbs chuckled, "Well, they left quite fast, as yeh can pro'ly guess."

"Jared" raised an eyebrow at him.

"That's it?," she burst out, "_I_ could o' thought o' that idea, !"

Gibbs looked at her. "Aye, lad, but Jack can make a man believe. Even if it is a terrible lie. He once met Anne Bonnie, when he was a lad.," his expression turned to a dreamy look. "That hat was a gift from her, herself, lad. What a fine pirate woman she was, as the stories go. Ne'er did get ta meet her."

"What happened to her?," "Jared" asked, remembering the woman from different songs and such back in Tortuga.

Gibbs shrugged, looking off to the sea past her shoulder.

"Don't no. No one knows. She was runnin' free fer quite a while with Calico Jack, but then they both turned up a'missin'. Some men say the Royal Navy got to 'em, an' brought 'em to the gallows."

"Jared" looked away from Gibbs and to the men across the deck. A sudden chill ran down her spine at the thought of a noose and all that killed men of piracy. Her eyes watered a little, and Gibbs spotted this.

"Lad? Are yeh alright?"

"Jared" rubbed her eyes roughly, then smiled warmly at the elder man before her.

"Aye. I be right as rain, sir. Just a l'il...," she sighed shakily, "...saddened from hearin' 'bout the death o' are fellow men."

Gibbs nodded, taking yet another swig from his flask.

"Aye. Tis a shame, truly. But that's where being a _true_ pirate comes in."

"Jared" cocked her head at him, and he chuckled at her, securing the now empty flask onto his belt.

"What do yeh mean, ? What in the world is a _true pirate_?"

"Exactly what Jack is, boy.," Gibbs stood from his barrel. "Takes what he can, an' gives nothin' back. All part of the pirating game of life, son."

At that very moment, Captain Jack Sparrow burst from his cabin, carrying a rum bottle in his left hand. His eyes fell on Gibbs and "Jared", and he did a funny gesture.

"What's this, eh? Chit-chating on me ship, huh?"

Gibbs straightened immediately, saluting to the erratic captain, who was now marching up to them, the rum in his bottle splashing about. He halted in front of Gibbs, who gave a small smile.

"!," the captain gasped in horror, making "Jared" look at him. "I'm ashamed at you! Talkin' away the day with this whelp! There's work ta be done!"

"Beggin' yer pardon, cap'n Jack!, " Gibbs practically prayed to the young man. "I was on'y gettin' ta know the boy better, sir!"

Jack pulled his head back high, peering down on the old pirate.

"Thas good of you, . But next time, puh-lease inform me of yer charitable duties."

"O' course, Cap'n!," Gibbs nodded eagerly, stepping back. "I'll just be gettin' back ta work, Cap'n! Good day, Jared lad!"

Jack watched happily as the man hurried off towards the stern post, then turned and rounded on "Jared".

"As for _you_, this is the second time today I've caught you doin' wrong on me ship!"

"Jared" stood up straighter, looking up at him, trying to be respectful, yet defiant at the same time.

"Beggin' yer pardon, but tis not all me wrong, Cap'n! Like 'e said, 'e _was_just gettin' ta know me, sir. So really, I was doin' good by bein' gracious to yer other more dearer crew-mates."

The captain looked down on her, nodding once as he wiggled his jaw.

"Very well, but if yeh slow again or slap another piece of this tub, yer gonna get a night in the brig, son."

"Aye, o' course, cap'n!," she smiled knowingly. "Sorry fer displeasin' yeh!"

"No, no!," he came around, patting "Jared"'s back rather hard. "You did not displease me, you _annoyed_ me. There's a difference, mate!"

He coughed loudly, then stepped forward, leaving "Jared" behind. A couple of more steps, then he stopped once again, and turned to look over his shoulder at her.

"Do you know anything 'bout Davy Jones?"

"Jared"'s brow rose, and she opened her mouth to reply, but then closed it. Jack waited for an answer, so she tried again.

"Um... no, I do not, sir. Sorry."

The captain nodded, his dreadlocks jiggling.

"Alright then. Get back ta work!," and with that, Jack Sparrow strolled lightly back to his cabin, twittering a dotty song all along the way.

"Jared" stood for a few minutes next to the rail, starring blankly at the cabin door, then with a soft sigh she walked off to her next chore.

"What a strange man he is.," she muttered to herself.


	5. Surprise

A/N: Yep, another update. Man, I'm just cranking these out. Anyway, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Pirates of the Caribbean. Really, I don't.

Chapter 4: Surprise

---

Now it was the third _night_ on Jack Sparrow's _Cutlass_, for "Jared". The last stetching rays of sunlight slowly diminished into the coming dusk. Soon, millions of tiny diamond-like stars would dot the navy blue sky above with the quarter moon glowing among them. No clouds graced the skies that night, and the wind was light and the seas calm.

"Jared" yawned, knowing it was time for her grub once again.

"Oh goody.," she grumbled, plowing over to the stairwell that led to the galley below.

Down below deck, in the hot and putrid galley room, "Jared" carefully maneuvered around the snorting and howling goons known otherwise as the crew. The pirate men all crammed together at one super long wooden table, sitting on either stools or their own knees. "Jared" reached the cook, who stood next to a large steaming pot of complete and utter _"yuck"_. She gawked at it in pure disgust for what felt like the thousandth time, then grabbed the hot, bowl-full of it as the cook shoved it at her.

"Enjoy.," he sneered at her, his withered face screwed up in a horrible grin.

"Aye," she smiled back politely, then turned on the spot and made her way over to the dining table, "I'm sure I will."

Gibbs, who was at the moment talking with some other crewmen, spotted her wandering around the table. He raised his hand and shouted to her over the commotion.

"Jared! Boy, over here!"

She looked up and saw the old pirate waving at her. With a small smirk, she went to him. As she neared, she realized he was talking with a couple of the crewmen. She gave them a happy grin and waved chipperly.

"'Ello, gents!"

They all just gawked at her with something close to apprehension on their grubby faces.

"Swell.," she mumbled under her breath, taking a seat next to Gibbs, who slapped her back.

"See boys, this is the lad I was talkin' to yeh 'bout!," he exclaimed to the crewmen.

They gawked even more at her, and "Jared" just ignored them and began to eat. She didn't look down at the slop directly, for fear of losing her appetite and throwing up instantly, then slowly stuffed the hot mush into her mouth. An awful taste of fish and and other aquatic favorites sunk into her tongue, and she had to swallow fast before it overwhelmed her altogether. With a long inhale, she ever so slowly spooned up another hunk of mush to eat.

"So, who've yeh sailed with, boy?"

"Huh?," she looked up, putting her spoon down.

"I said, who've yeh sailed with?," the man across from her repeated the question.

"Oh," she thought back for a name of a captain she remembered, "er...Cap'n Greg."

"What vessel does 'e command?," the man continued.

"Errr, the, ah, I think it was the, _The Crimson Dragon_? Not so sure, mate, I 'ave a terrible memory, fergive me."

"Yer fergiven, lad.," the man paused. "I wonder, who is Cap'n Greg exactly? I don't recall 'im."

"Jared" was busy trying to stick the spoonful in her mouth, then set it down once more, looking up at the man.

"Silent sailor, is what 'e is, mate. Yeh ne'er really 'ear o' 'im. Shoot! E'en I didn't 'ear o' 'im up till I joined 'is crew!"

"I think I 'eard of 'im.," the man next to the man who had questioned her first, said. "Yeah, I tink I 'ave!"

"When?," the first man turned to look at him.

"Around Tortuga, o' course!," the man said indignantly. "Yeah, I 'eard a couple of blokes talkin' 'bout some Greg man. They called 'im cap'n many times!"

Gibbs listened to them intently, then to "Jared"'s responses.

"No worries, boys, there is a Cap'n Greg out there. I met 'im meself.," he told them.

"Jared" turned to him, feeling a dreadful stomach ache coming on. She was lying about the whole thing! This wasn't going to end pretty.

"Where?," the first man inquired.

"Near southern Jamaica, close to Port Royal. Nice man, really. Don't know how good of pirate he was, though.," Gibbs's eyes rolled off as he submerged into thought.

"'Ow old are yeh, weevil?!," another man jumped in.

"Eighteen an' a half, me good man!," she smiled brightly.

"When did yeh become a pirate?," yet another chirped in.

"'Bout.... five year ago.," she was starting to get tired of the questioning- and the food in front of her.

"Do yeh 'ave a wanker?"

At this, "Jared"'s head snapped up, and she glanced around for the moron who asked the ridiculous question. A scrawny man, with limp, brown hair and hairy face was eyeing her inspectingly. She just rolled up her sleeve, and revealed her biceps. She flexed them threateningly.

"Do yeh want ta keep _yours_?," she growled at him.

The man nodded, backing up. She smiled approvingly, then rolled her sleeve back down. Next to her, Gibbs was starting a new subject. "Jared" was thankful of that, for if she had to tolerate any more stupid and pestering questions, she most likely would have exploded on the crewmen. As she ate the rest of her meal, she hastened to listen to Gibbs and the others.

"-to many! He'll 'ave no luck findin' it if 'e does go.," the first man was saying.

Gibbs shook his head at him. "Yeh don't know Jack like I do, Lewis. Ye 'ave sailed this ship with him for a year, I've done _three_. And let me tell yeh, he don't give up easily when it comes to treasure, boy!"

The younger man, Lewis, frowned at Gibbs, who was slugging down the rest of his rum.

"Well, if he wants to risk body an' soul for a hunk of gold or silver, then let 'im! I ain't gonna do it, though. I'll jump off this ship and be lost to Davy Jones' Locker before I lose my whole self to some God forsaken curse."

Gibbs threw the empty rum bottle over his shoulder, and examined the young man.

"Then yer not a true pirate. On'y true pirates go to the end, son."

"Fine.," Lewis shrugged, giving a small smirk. "I'm not a _true_ pirate. I'm just yer average scallywag, and nothin' more."

"Jared" rolled her eyes, dropping the spoon in her now empty bowl. With a soft burp, she stood from her spot. The crew-men's eyes fell on her once again, and Gibbs spoke.

"Where yeh goin', Jared?"

"Ta bed, .," she nodded pleasantly to all of them. "G'night, gents!"

"Night.," the dull chorus of the crewmen shot back.

---

And what an awful night it turned out to be. Yes, it was true, getting proper sleep in a old hammock, on a rickety ship was out of the question. But this particular night was just despicable, in short. For a while, when the rest of the crew were still at dinner, "Jared" had gotten the entire under deck to herself. Every night the girl would come in by herself, and fall to sleep early, so that she could get some at all. However, this time she didn't get to it fast enough.

And so now she lay in her hammock, covered in a dirty and smelling rag that the others pathetically dubbed a blanket. Surrounding her was nothing but a pile of even _more_ dirty and smelly pirates, who to top it all off, snored louder than the bellow of a hundred whales.

They were very in-tuned with each other for being asleep. With her eyes wide and staring at the deck-head above her, "Jared" was no where near sleep. In her mind, she planned out this entire journey ahead.

The dumb captain would most likely kill half of his crew- hopefully not her along with them -while trying to find this _treasure_; he would soon find that no such treasure even existed, then he would head off for the nearest port or catch on to a merchant ship, and plunder it for all it's worth, then head back for Tortuga to build up another crew. It was a vicious cycle, to be certain, and she didn't feel like joining in on this man's jolly adventures much longer.

_"I swear, if another ship, be it naval or not, I'll jump overboard and swim to it. At least I have more of chance living with that.," _she thought to herself.

The ship barely moved that night, and this was slightly unnerving to her. Were they even moving? She turned a bit, and withdrew from inside her vest, a silver ring. The piece of jewelry was small, with no rubies, emeralds, or any other rock on it for that matter. It was very clean and shiney looking. "Jared"'s lips quivered as she rubbed the tiny thing between her thumb and index finger. Her eyes watered, but she blinked the oncoming tears away.

She hated to cry. It was a useless thing, really. After a moment or so, she kissed the ring and placed it back within her vest once more. She closed her eyes, and tried not to think of him.

But it was folly on her part.

"I miss you.," she whispered, touching where the ring hid beneath her clothing.

Before she could stop them, the tears came splashing down on her face. The taste of salt reached her lips, and she licked them. a few minutes passed as she cried silently in her hammock. When the tears subsided, she rubbed the wetness off her cheeks, and breathed in and out slowly.

The snoring of the crew found her again, and she awoke to the reality around her. Smiling a little to herself, she was over with her sadness. It would do no good. So she smiled, and thought of things that did do good and that did matter.

In a matter of seconds, she was fast asleep, and snoring along with the other crewmen.

--

"Wake up, boy!! Time to get to work!!"

"Wha?!!," "Jared" bolted up, then toppled over onto the floor.

She raised her head, and looked up in time to see the man who had awoken her. Standing expectantly above of her was Captain Jack Sparrow. "Jared" gasped and scrambled to her feet, saluting respectfully. Jack crossed his arms and nodded.

"Last one to wake up, eh? I'm gonna need to do somethin' with you, son.," he inquired.

"Please, I'm so sorry, cap'n!," she found herself begging. "I just, I just had a rough sleep, and-"

"No excuses, boy!," the captain talked over her. "Rough sleep or not, for now on you had better get up at the appropriate time, or elseways I'm to send you to the brig, and maybe then you'll understand me ways on this ship, savvy?"

"Jared" looked at him for a moment, her mouth hanging limply.

"Savvy.," she repeated gloomily.

"Good, now then," the captain pivoted and walked over to the stairs, "get to work."

--

"Jared!," the merry voice of Gibbs greeted her as she came up from under the deck.

"Hey there, .," she tried to smile, but failed.

"'Bout time yeh got up, boy!," the old man boomed, coming over. "Did Jack get yeh?"

"Jared" nodded once, heading for her mop and water bucket. Gibbs followed behind.

"Was he angered?"

"No.," she picked the utensils up. "Just... annoyed."

Gibbs nodded again, itching the back of his ear.

"Aye. Sounds like the cap'n. Gets bugged easily, but I ain't never seen 'im boiling yet since I've been on this tub.," he reached for his flask. "Though, goes back again to Jack being not like other men."

"Hmm.," "Jared" waggled her head from side to side.

--

It was nearing noon when "Jared" had finished cleaning out the heads. Stinking and sweating, she hauled the cleaning stuff back up the stairs, huffing and puffing as she went.

"Bloody men! Can't even-," she tripped a little going up. "Damn it all!"

From up on the deck, she could hear scuttling and shouts from the crew, but couldn't make it out. Getting to her feet, she limped the rest of the way up.

"What in the bloody 'ell is going on up 'ere?!," she found herself shouting at Carter and Henry.

Carter stopped in his tracks and pointed a trembling hand out past the port side. "Jared" turned to look in the direction he was pointing, and saw a black dot on the horizon. Her frustration left her and she gasped, knowing full and well what that dot was.

This could ruin her whole plan!

With a growl, she threw the cleaning stuff down and ran for the stern of the ship. She trotted up the steps leading to the poop deck, and there she spotted her captain at the helm, standing next to Gibbs, who was steering.

Pulling herself up, she strode forward. "Cap'n!"

Jack jumped a little at her voice, and glanced over his shoulder.

"Oh, 'ello . Care to tell me that you've-"

"What's _that_?!," she flung her hand out at the ship.

Jack looked, then a queer smile played across his face.

"That, my dear friend, is what's known as a Royal Naval ship.," he looked back to "Jared".

"Jared" looked horror struck, and nearly gasped, but held her tongue. She hurried over to the railing and squinted at the tiny dot. The captain watched her curiously from behind; as he did, a strange thought occurred to him.

"Hey boy!"

"Jared" whipped around, her hat almost toppling off.

"Catch!," he tossed her the spyglass, and she caught it with both hands.

Turning back around, she lifted the telescope to her right eye and peered through. The bright colours of the Royal Navy came into focus, and she could see men up in the rigging, climbing all about like monkeys in a tree. Gritting her teeth, she lowered the spyglass and collapsed it with a hidden fury.

Jack came to her side, and held out his hand. She placed the spyglass in it, and groaned.

"Cheer up, son, they're far off, and we 'ave plenty of time to prepare.," he responded, taking a turn at the spyglass.

"Prepare?," she couldn't contain herself. "Prepare for what? To surrender?"

"No.," the captain was still peeking through the telescope. "Prepare to _pretend_."

"Jared" looked at him, becoming quite flustered with his run-around speech.

"Pretend _what_, cap'n?"

Jack took the piece away from his eye, and turned to look at her. A sly smile stretched across his lips, and golden capped teeth sparkled in the sunlight.

"You'll see, mate. Just watch, and you'll see."


	6. Another Surprise

A/N: Another update. This is the last of the already completed chapters. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Pirates of the Caribbean. Disney does... *goes off grumbling*

Chapter 5: Another surprise

---

Whatever the captain's plan may have been, it apparently did not work. The much bigger Naval ship was now pulling close up to the tiny and worthless pirate ship. The crewmen all gaped at the neighboring vessel, then to their calm captain.

Jack stood at the railing, watching the ship as it finally halted next to the _Cutlass_.

The men on the Naval ship were bellowing and shouting orders, a line of sailors came to the ship's railing, and lifted the large gangplank.

With a loud _thud_, the plank dropped down on the _Cutlass_, startling the crew.

Behind Jack, and near Gibbs- who was gaping wordlessly -was "Jared". She stood with a calm stance, but her face glowered red at the captain.

Jack, however, was smiling.

The naval sailors scurried across the plank, and onto the pirate ship, ordering the crewmen down with large bayonets at hand. The men did as ordered, though reluctantly.

As the last of the sailors boarded, two men came along the gangplank. "Jared" saw they wore white powdered wigs and blue and gold uniforms.

The Naval men stepped lightly onto the ship, and looked around.

"Where is your captain?," one bore down on Carter, who cowered.

Jack sauntered down the steps from the poop deck, leaving Gibbs and "Jared" to follow. As he did, he waved his arms in the air, whistling at the Naval men.

"Up 'ere, mates!," he called to them.

They gawked at the captain as he pushed his way through his crew and the Naval sailors. He came right up to them, and halted, tottering back slightly on the spot. The men just eyed him up and down, not speaking at first. Jack eyed them right back, his smile twitching.

"So, you must be the captain of this... ship.," one of the men started. He was a bit taller than the other.

Jack nodded his head, dreads flopping with it.

"Aye!"

"Your name, please.," the Naval man asked politely.

"Captain Jack Sparrow.," the captain did the most fanciest bow that "Jared" had ever seen.

The other man raised an eyebrow at him.

"Your wrist, please.," he suddenly ordered.

Jack hesitated, then slowly brought up his arm, and the Naval man took it roughly. He pulled back Jack's tattered sleeve and a cold smile crossed his lips.

"Just as suspected," he showed the clear tattooed "**P**" on Jack's wrist to his comrade, who also smiled, "another dirty pirate."

Jack frowned at this remark, and took his arm back. The taller Naval soldier barked at a nearby sailor. The weathered man approached him, and the soldier whispered something to him. The sailor nodded, then turned and walked away.

"Jared" saw him cross the gangplank back to his ship.

The two men glared at Jack.

"You are under arrest, by order of the king of England.," the shorter one addressed Jack.

Jack frowned even more at this.

"Now, now, mate. You really wouldn't arrest all of us 'ere, would you? Be a cruel thing to do. Besides, we're nothing but humble pirates, sir-"

"Silence!," the men squawked at him.

"Right!," Jack put on happy smile.

A moment later, and the sailor came back with heavy irons in his hands. He brought them to the taller Naval man, who took them with a gracious nod. Turning on Jack, he forced the cold metal onto the pirate's outstretched wrists. With a sharp _click_, the captain was now a captive, as was the rest of his crew.

--

"_What do you do with a drunken sailor? What do you do with a drunken sailor? What do you do with a drunken sailor? Earl-eye in the mornin'!,_" sang a very drunken Gibbs to himself.

"Shut it, you!," a sailor snarled, throwing his dripping wet mop at him.

The dirty water fell on Gibbs' face, and the old pirate grumbled, settling back down with the rest of the crew. They sat all together down in the brig of the Naval ship. Squished into two separate cells, the pirates were side by side and back to back.

Jack made sure he had a corner to rest in. In the cell next to him sat "Jared". She was, inconveniently, cramped between Carter and Henry, who was muttering incoherent words of discomfort.

"Well, you sure aren't making it any more comfortable.," she snapped at him.

The man turned his head just enough to glare at her.

"Shut yer mouth! I'll not be sassed by a whelp like yerself!," he snarled.

"Jared" went to retort, but found her captain's eyes on her, and she held her tongue. Henry smirked at her, making the young woman come close to punching him in the face.

"Calm yourselves, gents!," Jack told his crew. "It will not 'elp the situation by braying like a bunch o' asses, now will it?"

The men shook their haggard heads in response to him. Jack nodded back, lowering his head to sleep. "Jared" watched him closely, wondering if the man would suddenly pull some rotten magic trick and get them out of this spot.

But, unfortunately, he did nothing.

He did nothing but sleep.

So for almost three days they slept and ate and urinated in the same cramped area they had started in. Lewis, who was always trying some new idea of how to escape, was now scrunched up between two other men, covering his face with his hands. A light snort every once and while told Jack that he was asleep.

In the next cell, Carter was humming a tune while picking off various scabs on his arms; Henry was slumped over, also fast asleep, and "Jared" sat very quiet in the middle.

Her face was gloomy, as a huge frown was splat across it and her eyes drooped with exhaustion due to lack of sleep. Her rather small fists were balled up, ready to be flung at any who dare taunt her. She was aching, sweating, and now steaming peeved. Her underside was damp and cold from the urine that filled the floor of the brig, as well as the cleaning water from the sailor earlier.

She was in a state of complete inhumanity, but that wasn't what bothered her.

What bothered her the most was the fact that her captain, who knew full and well were they were heading to, did nothing to save them from this disgraceful place. He either slept or stared inanely at his crew, including "Jared", the whole time, saying only four to six words at the most.

Some captain he was.

_"Not like other men?," _"Jared" thought miserably. _"Damn right he's not! Any normal man would have done something by now to assure his crew's safety and lives."_

As she thought about all this, Carter began to hum louder, soon adding words to the tune. Henry stirred a bit, but never awakened. "Jared" tried her hardest to block out Carter's unbearable singing voice, but it was growing louder and louder, and her patience were growing thinner and thinner.

If it wasn't enough that his voice was growing rapidly higher, next to her, Henry was beginning to snore. Closing her eyes shut, and shaking her head, she prayed to God something would happen to quit them both.

Anything!

_"Come on, captain!," _she thought hard. _"Tell them to shut their hideous mouths!"_

Jack turned to look at them at that exact moment, and "Jared" perked up, excited for the first time.

He raised a hand and wiggled his fingers absently, then, "I like your song, Carter mate. Keep going!"

"Jared" thought she might strangle herself at that comment, and then perhaps she would not be in any more of this tiring distress. With a hard sigh, she slumped and laid her forehead to her knees.

"_Why didn't I just listen to that damned woman in Tortuga? Why?? God help me from screaming right now."_

Suddenly, just as Carter was getting to an ultimate high in his sea shanty, a huge _boom!_ sounded from far off outside the ship. The crewmen jumped, as did "Jared". Carter stopped his singing, and looked around. For a moment, all was silent, then, another, even louder _boom!_ came.

Henry awakened, and yawned widely.

"What in the 'ell was that?," he moaned, scratching his chin.

The answer came short enough as a cannon ball blasted right through the wall, hitting two of the crewmen. "Jared" gasped, jumping up. Carter and Henry whimpered in fright at the gruesome scene of blood and guts. Jack stood, and went to say something, when another ball blasted right past him.

"Oh bugger.," he squeaked.

"Jared" looked to where the cannon ball had plowed through, and a bright smile lit up her filthy face.

"Cap'n! Behind yeh!," she pointed at the large, bent hole in the metal bars of the cell.

Jack glanced over his shoulder, and he yelped, turning around fully.

"An escape!," he looked back at his crew, and nodded at the blast hole. "Hurry, gents, before we find ourselves in a disastrous state like our poor Sam and Barty, there!"

The crewmen didn't have to think twice as they followed their captain out of the small cell. In the next one, "Jared" found her self banging on the door with all her might.

"Cap'n! We're trapped!," she proclaimed to him.

Jack came up to the bars, wincing at every cannon blast from above. He grabbed them, and shook hard, also shaking himself in the process. "Jared" just watched him, horror filling her eyes as she thought of never escaping this terrible prison and sinking to the bottom of the ocean with nothing to look forward to besides the cackling of Davy Jones.

"Cap'n!"

He stepped back, examining the issue in front of him.

"I'm so sorry, mate, but I'm afraid I can do nothing 'bout this certain dilemma.," he finally said, not looking her directly in the eyes.

"Jared" gripped the bars, baring her teeth at him.

"You can't just leave us here!!," she barked.

"I'm sorry.," with a nod and wave, he beckoned half of his crew to follow him. Gibbs waved as well, shrugging his shoulders.

"Jared" watched after them, her face contorted with fury.

"APOLOGY _NOT _ACCEPTED, _CAPTAIN!!!_," she bellowed.

Turning to face the men behind her, she breathed in and out, her face flushed a light red. Henry and Carter were sniveling together, not even paying heed to her, while the others all shook with fear and shock at their captain's disloyalty. She eyed them all up, then, a queer look came to her face. She looked to where Lewis sat, shaking his head and mumbling to himself quietly. Her heart sank in her chest a little at his pitiful state, and she sighed, then put on her toughest manly voice,

"Alright men-," but just as she was about to speak to them, another cannon blast flew through their cell. "Jared" was knocked off her feet from the blast, as she had been just inches from it. She was lying on top of the cook, who growled menacingly at her. She gave him a sheepish grin, then quickly got to her feet. Both she and Henry noticed the broken door at the same time.

"Eh, looky! A way out, boys!," Henry pointed at the jagged exit excitedly.

The other crewmen jumped up immediately, and began pushing and shooving their ways out of the prison cell. "Jared" was last; she gave a grunt as the pirate before her slammed her out of the way to get out. Falling hard against the opposite iron bars, she hurried and bounced back, following the others swiftly. However, she, nor did the other crewmen, get very far.

"_Oi! _Get back now, you stinkin' bilge rats! Or I'll slice yer treasures off one by one, an' toss 'em over board for the fishies!," came a not-so-threatening voice from above the stairs.

"Jared" groaned under her breath. Great. More pirates. And they certainly did not sound like allies to the men she joined. She could hear Henry and Carter, with a few other guys babbling on about something to the enemy pirate, but they were silenced when the sounding of a large gun went off. "Jared" winced at the noise, and guessed one of them had got the blunt of it. Poor bloke. Suddenly from above, there was a whole lot of movement and shouting. "Jared" heard a strange creaking sound from behind her, and she swung around to see bubbling sea water leaking in through the wrecked ship. There was a shuffling, and she looked back around. The line of waiting men in front of her were moving forward quite speedily, and "Jared" hurried after, not wanting to be left down in the flooding brig.

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A/N: Chapter 7 should be up soon! Please review!


	7. Change of Course

A/N: I am SO SORRY for the long delay! That is, if anyone was really reading this story anyway. In truth, I ran out of good plot ideas for this story. But now I think I have a pretty set course now. Well, I don't want to keep you guys waiting any longer than you already had to. Read on and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own POTC, only Janie and the other people you don't recognize.

Chapter 7: Change of Course

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As soon as her boots hit the upper deck, "Jared" was yanked away by a huge, bald man. With an animalish grunt, he shoved her into the clump of her crewmates, who were all standing close together in the center of the deck. She stumbled into Lewis, who nearly fell backwards.

"Whoa!," he gasped, catching her.

"Er- sorry, Lewis mate.," "Jared" smiled embarrassedly, then gasped lightly as she realized she hadn't kept her masculine voice.

The young pirate raised an eyebrow at her. He looked like he was going to say something more, but "Jared" hurried and pushed herself through the crewmen, getting away from Lewis, and settled herself next to Mr. Gibbs, who was gulping down his flask of whatever it was. He noticed her presence, and put the flask down, licking his lips.

"Oh, 'ello there Jared lad. See ya, erm, escaped the brig, eh?," he spoke to her uncertainly.

"Jared" snorted indignantly. "Yeah, with no thanks ta yer _Captain Jack."_

Gibbs seemed ashamed. "Aye, well enough. But as long as ya escaped at all is what matters most in the end, right boy?"

"Jared" made no comment, so Gibbs shut up and went back to his nervous drinking. As she stood there, "Jared" could see the opposing pirates were hooting and hollering on about something or other that she couldn't understand. Most of them were foreign, so she didn't recognize the differing dialects. Suddenly they went quiet, and all at once moved aside as to make a path for someone.

Then, with long hard strides, a tall lean man appeared before them. He halted, and stood rigid as he observed her and the others all huddled like a flock of sheep. As he did so, "Jared" was able to take in his features. He was olive-skinned, with dark green eyes and rather large mouth with full, protruding lips. His reddish brown hair was let down, and reached his elbows. The top of his head was covered by a what looked like an old Naval hat that had been embellished with all sorts of teeth and beads and even some jewels. His uniform was strangely tidy, and intriguingly elegant, with two coat tails that dragged along the deck of the ship behind him, the frills on the front of his shirt, and the huge brass buttons which showed nicely against the green of the coat. His pants matched the coat, and his boots were high, sleek and jet black. They too looked to be old Naval apparel. In a nutshell, he was a gorgeous pirate.

For about a minute or so he studied the crew of Jack Sparrow, his eyes scrutinizing.

"Where is your captain?," he spoke with a thick, rich accent that "Jared" had never heard before. It was alluring.

The crew all looked about themselves, then, with a yelp, Captain Jack Sparrow was pushed forth from the mass of pirates. He tottered forward, almost falling into the other captain, but then steadied himself- the best he could- and smiled nervously up at the opposite man.

"'Ello.," he greeted the captain openly.

The other captain just stared him down, as if he had just insulted him. Jack, put out, but definitely not embarrassed, made a face, then tried again.

"Er, well, thanks for savin' our ruddy hides, mate. Tis would be rather hard to get away otherwise."

The other captain just looked at Jack again, but this time he looked amused. A smile stretched across his lips, and he opened his mouth wide and howled with laughter unlike any that "Jared" had ever heard. His crew joined in, all of them chortling heartily at Captain Jack, who was looking smaller and smaller up there.

"Saved you? Do you honestly think we attacked a Naval vessel to _save you?," _he asked Jack incredulously, his grin enormous. "Why would we do that?"

Jack swallowed, and he tried to smile. "Er, because, are we not brothers? You and I, I and you? We are both rum-soaked, treasure-hoarding, wench-loving pirates. It's our unwritten law to help each other out, is it not?"

"No.," the other captain's grin faded slightly. "I may be a pirate, but I'm on no level with you, little sea bastard."

"Jared" winced a little at the jab, and almost felt bad for her captain. She could tell his cheeks were tinting red. The other captain scoffed, then turned and strode down the deck away from Jack, speaking loud as he went.

"My name is Captain Synafik. My intention was to take this ship's goods, and have off. However, I happened across you all. So my question is this: would you like to be stranded here to die, or, join my crew and sail under me? Your choice-," he turned about and looked at Jack expectantly.

"Oh, er, Captain Jack Sparrow!," Jack informed him.

"Yes, of course.," Captain Synafik nodded, not really interested. "Your choice, Captain Sparrow."

Jack gritted his teeth, then pivoted wildly and skipped back over to his crew. He beckoned them to come closer around him. He then began whispering fast to the nearest of the men, who too were whispering back. "Jared", annoyed by this, pushed her way forward to listen in.

"-good it'll do us. Being stuck on this high-steppin' blotter's ship for the rest o' our days in all."

"Well, it's either tha', or old Jones' locker, Murray. I don't know 'bout chu, but I'd take crewing _his _junk afore meetin' the devil 'imself."

"So thas it then?," Jack looked about at them. "You all feel this way?"

The men, including "Jared" nodded in unison. Jack looked relieved yet troubled at the same time- if that is even possible. He gave a nod, then turned and sauntered back to Synafik.

"We all, meaning the crew an' I, agree to join yer crew, er, Mr. Synafik-"

"That's _Captain _Synafik to _you_, _Mr. Sparrow.," _Synafik growled at Jack threateningly.

Jack chuckled nervously. "O' course,-" he gulped. "-Cap'n."

Synafik nodded approvingly, then swiveled about and strode down the line and back to his ship without a word. His crew came back to life in that instant, and immediately began harassing Jack's crew onto the other ship. "Jared" shuffled along behind Carter, stepping lightly onto the gangplank. She couldn't help but take a peek below. The waves crashed between either of the ships, creating a sort of whirlpool. When she reached the deck of Synafik's ship, "Jared" was pushed towards the main mast due to all of the scrambling and settling about. She didn't mind though, and found sanctuary at its bottom on an empty rum barrel.

Once everyone was on board, and Captain Synafik had looted all he could from the Naval ship, _The Glory, _as was the ship's name, was set for its next destination.

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